AftermathSeries Finale
by WhitePhoenix52
Summary: Ron has completed his journey back to his home planet. While Ron meets his father, Tails's curiosity leads him to a life changing experience. Is this the end, or merely the beginning?


Aftermath

Ron saw the incredibly dominating skyscraper progress more into view as he and his crew approached ever more aboard the powerful blue bird known as the Typhoon. Although scorn from battle, its deep blue body and sharp red eyes gleamed majestically in the sunset. A tear fell from Ron's eye as the bird seemed to inch slowly to the front gate of the superstructure. "I'm finally home." Ron muttered to himself.

Sonic, Tails, Miles, Knuckles, and Rebecca, Ron's five friends, were patiently waiting in the back room with the chaos emeralds, until Ron alerted them of their arrival. Miles's arm was still in terrible shape from the effects of the Raven's eye laser. Rebecca was at his side to comfort him through the pain. The boy wasn't even a teenager, but he knew it was inevitable that he would be deemed partially crippled for the rest of his life.

The giant blue bird finally came to a halt at the front gate, where two sentries kept watch. One by one, the six friends exited the bird, and soon another figure rushed to the scene. Ron, who was ahead of the others, noticed that the figure looked like a fox, but also noticed its stiff movement. It was getting dark, so he couldn't make out any detail. One sentry opened the gate to let the figure through, and quickly closed it afterwards.

The figure walked into the light of a lamp post, and everyone wanted to ask the same question, but Ron was the first one to speak. "Are you my father?" Ron asked nervously. The other fox looked confused . He was wearing a dark colored uniform, somewhat like a butler.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but I find that quite impossible, as I have no son, or any descendants for that matter." The fox answered. "Who might you be? I'll try to help in any way possible."

"My name is Ron Prower." Ron answered politely. The fox-butler leaned toward Ron and squinted his eyes.

"Ronald James..." the butler muttered. "You do seem familiar, but Master Ronald has been missing for nearly fifty years." the Butler explained.

"Fifty-two, to be exact." Ron added cooly. The butler was astonished at Ron's remark. He suddenly embraced Ron, with an incredibly strong grip.

"Master Ronald, it IS you!" the butler declared as Ron was struggling for breath. "I never thought I'd see you before my days passed." The butler finally released Ron, Ron gasping for air. "But you must be exhausted from having to come a long way, just to come back. I shall see you and our guests to immediate hospitality right away!"

Miles's wound finally caught the butler's eye. "Oh, heavens, no! What happened to this young lad?" The butler quickly examined the wound. "He should be escorted to our medical quarters, immediately! You two!" He pointed to the nearby sentries. "Escort this young man to our first available doctor, and tell the next two guard to start their shifts now!" The two guards ran off with Miles to fulfil their duties. "Come, Master Ronald. I have what you've been looking for." The butler invited everyone else inside.

Inside the hallowed halls, it was as dark as it was outside. "Why is it so dark in here?' Sonic asked.

"Master Prower's depression has left not only his life gloomy, but this entire estate as well." The butler explained. "Oh my, how rude of me! I never got to meet any of you." The butler realized.

Ron pointed to Sonic. "This is Sonic, an old, er, friend of mine." Ron stuttered, knowing that his friendship with Sonic hadn't been around for very long. Ron then pointed at Knuckles. "And his very good friend, Knuckles."

"Sonic, Knuckles, it's a pleasure to meet you, but I must ask about your names. They seem a bit... odd." The butler interrupted.

"Sonic is known for his sensational running speed, and Knuckles is the guardian of a very sacred treasure." Ron explained.

"And this young man must be your son, perhaps?" The butler said when he noticed Tails.

"Yes, he is my older son. His real name is Miles, but he prefers the name Tails." Ron explained.

The butler noticed the second tail. "I see. And the other boy, was he your son too?"

"Yes, my younger son, who accepts his name. His name is Miles Kevin Prower." Ron answered.

"Ah, keeping the Family naming tradition around, I see. And this marvelous woman, could she possibly be a daughter? She looks too young to be wed to someone of your age." The butler continued.

"Actually, I'm neither. I'm another friend." Rebecca answered shyly.

"A pleasure to meet you all. My name is ASR-51, or as Master Ronald calls me, Rodney." The Butler explained.

"You're a robot?" Tails asked

"That is correct, Tails. I am one of a series of servant robots that are employed here at the Prower Estate. I was specifically assigned to watch over Master Ronald whenever his parents could not. And through the four years that I knew him, I had grown so attached to him. He never was the greedy type, and really didn't ask too much except for some company whenever it he was lonely." Rodney was lost in memory, while Ron was beginning to blush. "But the past fifty-two years were the most lonely in my entire existence." Ron wouldn't admit to it, but he felt very glad to finally see one of his oldest friends.

"Oh, but I'm sure Ron would much rather see his father than listen to me reminisce." Rodney smiled and led the five friends through staircase after staircase, identifying the different rooms along the way. They came to a point where Rodney didn't explain about the building. Tails noticed it was near a certain door.

"What's behind this one?" Tails queried. Rodney turned his attention to Tails, trying to think of an explanation.

"Behind that door rests a hallway that many refer to as the 'Hall of Illusion'." Rodney answered. "Anyone who has visited this estate often think about exploring that awkward hallway, and those who do, won't admit to what they experienced for some odd reason."

Tails continued to stare into the door. It seemed to have a grip on his mind, now that he knows he has some exploring to do. Tails gathered himself again and continued to follow along with the group. "I'll wait until everyone is asleep, it shouldn't be too hard to get around undetected." Tails whispered to himself.

The endless flights of stairs finally came to a halt. "Man, we must have walked a mile to get up these stairs." Sonic said, rather exhausted from all the walking.

"Actually, these stairs span two and one half miles." Rodney corrected.

"What?! How does anything ever get done around here?" Sonic ranted. Rodney calmly pointed to an elevator door behind him. Sonic stared blankly at the door. "Why did we have to take the stairs?!" Sonic shouted.

"I thought it might be nice to give a tour of the estate." Rodney was practically teasing at Sonic's impatience. But Rodney's smile faded away, and he donned a serious face as he turned to the door waiting for them at the end of the staircase.

"Master Ron, behind this door, your father has been waiting for you. Ever since that fateful day, he's remained secluded in shadow, depressed at the loss of his only son." Rodney informed. He pushed the large doors open slowly, and inside, was a room as big a hallway. "This is the throne room, where every thing is observed by Master Prower himself."

The throne room had very little light, and the end was completely shrouded in darkness. "State your name!" a voice boomed from the back.

"ASR-51!" Rodney shouted back.

"Rodney? For what reason do you disturb me?" The voice shouted back.

"I bring a guest, that wishes to see you!" Rodney responded. He let Ron step forward, for the owner of the voice to see. The owner stepped forward into the dim light. He was a fox that looked almost exactly like Ron, only bigger, taller, and wore a glorious blue cape. He then walked forward towards Ron.

"My son..." Ron's father embraced him, with a hug that only a father could give. "I never thought you would return, but now I have you back."

"Why would you ever think that?" Ron asked.

"The terrible monster known as war. I couldn't risk my only son to be lost at the hands of those Federation monsters." Ron's father explained. "I knew this planet would become involved in battle, but there was another haven I could rely on."

"You must be talking about planet Freedom." Tails blurted.

"So they did accomplish their dream." Kevin said as if in a daydream. "Not just a colony, but an entire planet."

"What is he talking about?" Tails asked under his breath.

"The other science group. Since my grandfather was a member of the original scientist group, I knew I could trust the remaining major division. To them, I entrusted my son, but I never thought I would see you again." Kevin admitted. "With the Federation as dangerous and powerful as it is, I never thought this planet would survive."

"Woah, back up a minute! How can we be safe if the Federation knows where this planet is?" Sonic interrupted.

"Simple. When The Federation's first wave of attack was defeated, we merely changed the position of the planet, to a location far from the fighting." Kevin explained.

"But that McFalen guy. He knows where this place is!" Sonic whined.

"I trust that he wouldn't take the Fed's side again, not after dealing with me." Ron bragged.

"Sire, these are Master Ronald's guests. Sonic, a hedgehog with high running speed. Knuckles, a guardian of an important and sacred treasure of his origins. Miles, Master Ronald's older son, who prefers the name Tails. And Rebecca, a fair lady who has accompanied Master Ronald on his journey home." Rodney introduced. "Master Ronald's younger son is in the medical quarters, due to an injury suffered in their journey. His name is also Miles, but unlike his brother, he prefers his true name."

"Truly a pleasure to meet you all, but I'm especially pleased with this grandson of mine." Kevin admitted, now in a better mood. "How old is the boy?"

"Twenty-one." Tails answered with a slight sense of pride.

"And such a strapping young man with the true blood of a Prower." Kevin said also gleaming with pride.

"You must tell me of your journeys, my son." Kevin demanded of Ron. "But first, a meal to celebrate the arrival my son and his guests."

Ron hesitated to tell his father of his strange attribute. "Uh, dad. Since a certain incident some years ago, it's unnecessary for me to eat, and now it's become more of a disability."

"Whatever do you mean?" Kevin was confused.

"He means that the results will be rather, uh, unpleasant." Rebecca answered for Ron.

"Oh, but I'm sure everyone else here is up for a decent meal." Kevin insisted. "Follow me, we shall proceed to the dining hall." Rodney instructed..

"Okay, but can we take the elevator this time?" Sonic whined. The others chuckled at his silliness.

A grand dinner was enjoyed by everyone minutes later. Ron discussed the adventures he had from when before he met Sonic, through to his journey back to Crisis II. Tails just waited patiently quiet until everyone was satisfied so he could explore that hallowed hall that called to him. Soon everyone was escorted to their individual suites, and Tails would have to wait only a little longer.

Tails peered out of his door to make sure no one was around. He jumped over the guard rail and hovered using his tails to descend to the floor he wanted. He landed softly, and quietly most of all, before the door that caught his mind. He reached for the door, and pushed, the door making a rather loud creak as it crept open. Tails flinched at the grotesque sound, hoping that no one could hear the sound.

Tails walked in, and closed the door behind him, so that if anyone walked by, they wouldn't suspect anything. It was rather dark in the hallway. The only light was a line of dim lights across each wall. And between every two lights was another door. Tails walked through, trying to open every door along the way, but every attempt failed.

"No wonder no one talks about what goes on here, there's nothing here!" Tails ranted. He decided to go straight to the door in the back. To his surprise, it opened. Like the first door, a loud creak sounded when opened. It was pitch black, but despite the lack of light Tails went in. The doors shut behind him, and lights came on as soon as the doors where closed.

Tails gazed around the room. Every wall had shelves, cabinets, and cases full of wine bottles. "Well, now I know where dad gets his taste for wine." Tails remarked. He reached for a nearby bottle, opened and took a sip. "Tastes like water." Tails complained. "Oh well, may as well finish it." Tails quickly finished the bottle and set it down in a nearby garbage vent.

Tails headed for the first door, but found the entrance to another hallway before the main door. "That wasn't there before." Tails muttered. He went through, and to his surprise, the hallway was lit. Tails went through, and found another turn in the strange corridor. He eventually came to a fork in the corridor. And between the splitting paths, was a red bird.

"What the Hell?" Tails was astonished at the sight of the Red bird. Tails took a moment to observe any details, like his usual self, and noticed that the bird had twin tails. "Hey, you have two tails like I do." Tails pointed out. The Red Bird said nothing, but instead, he threw two feathers, one in front of the left fork, and the other in front of the right fork. The one in front of the left fork was white, while the other was black.

Tails knew he had to be hallucinating now. "I just drank too much, that's all." He assured himself. He went down the left path a few steps, then turned around to ask the Red Bird a question. But when Tails turned around, the bird was gone. Not even a feather was left behind. But Tails also noticed that the right pathway had disappeared. He continued down the left pathway, and noticed, that it was getting hotter every step of the way.

Tails found a door at the and of the corridor. He reached for the handle, hoping it was the way out, but as soon as he touched it, he felt it was blazing hot. The handle hissed with fierce sizzle. Tails glanced at his hand, and found no burn, so he reached for the handle again. It bit back with its singing heat, but Tails held on long enough to force the door open. But what he saw next blew his mind.

Inside was a literal hell-hole. Tails became surrounded by fire. He even saw that the door had disappeared. He couldn't see what he was standing on. Every where was pitch black with fire blazing in his face. He wanted to believe everything was an illusion, but the fire felt so real. His tears evaporated as soon as they fell from his face. He could hardly breath. It felt like his throat had already been scorched.

Out of his tears, and through the fire, Tails saw two red eyes. Soon the fire gave way to reveal the possessor of the eyes. It was a black bird, looking down on Tails like a crow sorrows over the ground. Tails reached for the bird, but found a black feather hurled into his hand. He saw the quill pierced through to the other side. Tails touched the feather to see if it was real, and found that it was.

"Damn that red bird, leading me here on purpose." Tails ranted. His breath was heaving both from crying and the heat. He looked up to see if the black bird would do anything else. The black bird vanished in the fire, leaving Tails alone. "What's happening?!" He shouted. He stared at the feather in his hand, the fires of anger now gleaming in his eyes. He grasped the feather, hoping to pull it out.

But before Tails could remove the feather, it burst into it's own flame. Tails screamed in agony, wanting everything to end so badly. The flame soon crept its way up Tails's arm. The young fox writhing in pain. Soon his entire body was set aflame. His vision, blurred, dying along with his conscious mind. But in the flames he could barely see three sets of eyes. One Red, one yellow, and one blue.

He saw the black bird appear in place of the red eyes. Next, the red bird appeared in place of the yellow eyes. And finally, the white bird appeared for the first time to Tails. "WHAT IS THIS!?" Tails shouted. "WHO ARE YOU!?" Soon, his vision went completely black, and he lost all consciousness.

Tails awoke later, and the first thing he noticed where that the flames were gone, yet he was in the same position as he was when he lost consciousness. He stood up and realized he was outside the first door to the hall of illusions. He looked around and saw no one about. Tails examined himself and found no trace of burns or scars. Even the wound in his hand had disappeared. He quickly made his way back to his room, before he got in any real trouble.

A week passed. Ron, Rebecca, Tails, Miles, Sonic, and Knuckles were all waiting outside the mansion for Kevin and Rodney to show up. "Sonic, and Knuckles, dear friends to my son. I bid you a safe journey home, and a greeting to old friends at Freedom." Kevin announced. "Your transport is ready to leave."

"I'm gonna miss you, bud." Sonic said to Tails, as he was ready to board his ride home. "You take care of yourself."

Knuckles shed a tear as he said goodbye to Tails also. Sonic and Knuckles were boarding the ship, as Knuckles remembered something urgent. "We have the chaos emeralds, right?" Knuckles asked Sonic.

"Your precious treasures are safe aboard the ship." Rodney answered. In moments, the ship took off, and was soon headed to the far corner of space where Planet Freedom resided. Tails shed a tear as he waved back to the ship, even though he knew Sonic couldn't see him from that far. Soon the light of the engines disappeared from sight, Tails ceased his goodbye. "Goodbye, blue blur from beyond." he muttered.

Far on the roof top of the mansion, out of everyone's sight. The three birds watched silently. "There goes an honorable hero." The Red Bird broke the silence.

"There goes a guardian." The Black Bird added.

"There goes a friend." The White Bird commented.

White Feather...

THE END


End file.
